Holder for dental film developing hangers



Jan. 13, 1942. J. A. JONES ETAL 2,269,820

HOLDER FOR DENTAL FILM DEVELOPING HANGERS Filed March 18, 1941 Qwuamkm 'JZW nE A-Jones I Edwin M.Ncsh

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Patented Jan.- 13, 1942 HOLDER FOR DENTAL FILM DEVELOPING HANGERS James A. Jones, Scottsviile, and

Edwin M. Nash,

Charlottesville, Va. Application March 18, 1941, Serial No. 384,008

Claims.

Our invention has for its object to provide certain new and useful improvements in devices for holding dental films.

At the present time, the dentist, except in offices where a number of them are grouped together and can therefore have an assistant to develop their films, must interrupt his work in a highly specialized field to do his own developing. This he must usually do in a very small and specially equipped dark room under very poor light conditions. The hangers, as generally made, are difficult to handle under such conditions. They are made with spring clips for holding the films; the clips are arranged in two rows, one on either side of a central bar having a hook end for suspension purposes. The films are usually placed in the hanger in a row on one side by putting the films in one hand using the thumb and forefinger of the other hand to reach across the opposite clip and central bar to open the clip which is to receive the film; this is continued down one side of the bar until all the clips on that side are filled. Then it is necessary in filling the other row of clips to reach across the films previously inserted, the spring clip and the central bar to open the clips on the opposite side, and very few people have hands large enough to do this without danger of injuring or marring some of the films which have been inserted.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide a means whereby the hangers will be free of the above objectionable features without any change being necessitated in the hangers themselves.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described in the following detailed description, and then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of our invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawing in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures, the holder, which comprises the essential part of our invention, comprises a top 1 (preferably of a width somewhat less than the over all width of the hanger), side walls 2 and lateral fianges' 3. The flanges 3 have holes 4 through which screws may be passed to secure the holder to a suitable support, as a table or sink, shelf, etc., if and when desired.

The top I of the holder is slotted, as at 5, near one end, and near the other end it is provided with a springy tongue 6 stamped from the top I when the holder is made of sheet metal, the tongue lying crosswise of the top and spaced slightly from the plane of the top.

The tongue, preferably, has a nib 1 punched in it to hold the central bar 8 of the hanger under the clip against accidental displacement.

The hanger, which is of a Well known construction, comprises the bar 8 of spring steel or the like, having a free end 9 and a hook end II). To this bar the spring clips H are riveted and arranged, as hereinbefore referred to, in two rows or sets, one row or set on either side of the bar.

In the assembled position, the free end 9 of the bar 8 is slipped through the slot 5 and the bar slipped sidewise under the tongue 6 until it passes the nib or depression 1 (Figs. 1 and 2), thus securely holding the hanger on the holder.

Now by pressing down on a clip I l in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, the clip may be held open for the insertion or removal of a film (see dotted lines F, Figs. 1 and 2|). The top I acts as an abutment against which the clip II is pressed while opening and closing the same. This, the opening and closing of the clip (closed by usual coil spring contained in the clip and not shown in the drawing) is thus accomplished by one finger of one hand while the film is carried by the other hand, and the awkward handling of films and hanger hereinbefore referred to is avoided.

It will be seen that the hook end of the holder. hanger assembly may when desired, in case down to a fixture.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that our invention provides an apparatus which is as simple as possible, occupies but little room and can be placed anywhere that may be convenient.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is thought the complete construction, operation and advantages of our invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and while we have shown a preferred method of securing the hanger unit to the holder unit, it is obvious l0 overhangs the Therefore, the holder and be hung up out of the way, the holder is not screwed that another securing method may be provided without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A holder for dental film hangers which comprise a central bar and film clips carried thereby to project laterally therefrom, said holder comprising a body having a top, sides and base portions, the top being elongated and provided adjacent one end with a bar end receiving slot and adjacent the other end with a tongue under which the bar may be slipped and held.

2. In combination, a dental film hanger unit comprising a central bar and laterally projecting rows of spring clips, and a holder unit for the hanger unit comprising an elongated body having a top, sides and bottom, the top having, adjacent one end, a cross slot to receive one end of said bar, and having adjacent the other end a springy tongue beneath which the bar may be slipped laterally and by which it is held.

3. In combination, a dental film hanger unit comprising a central bar and laterally projecting rows of spring clips, and a holder unit for the hanger unit comprising an elongated body 1..

having a top, sides and bottom, the top having, adjacent one end, a cross slot to receive one end of said bar, and having adjacent the other end a springy tongue beneath which the bar may be slipped laterally and by which it is held, said tongue having a bar retaining stop nib.

4. In combination, a dental film hanger unit comprising a central bar and laterally projecting rows of spring clips, and a holder unit for the hanger unit comprising an elongated body having a top, sides and bottom, the top having, adjacent one end, a cross slot to receive one end of said bar, and having adjacent the other end a springy tongue beneath Which the bar may be slipped laterally and by which it is held, said bar extending beyond the end of said holder and being there provided with a hook portion by which the entire assembly may be hung up when desired.

5. A device for holding films in spaced apart relation, comprising a film hanger unit consisting of a central bar and laterally projected film holding clips spaced apart far enough so that one film will not touch another, and a hanger holding unit which includes a stand of a height, width and length to hold the hanger unit and films clear of surrounding objects, and of the holding unit itself, and means by which the hanger unit may be held quickly attachable to and detachable from the holding unit.

JAMES A. JONES. EDWIN M. NASH. 

